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(No Moiiel.)

-- J. W. HOUSTON.

'GRATE. No. 310,514. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

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JOHN \V. HOUSTON, OF BELLAIRE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND \Vl L- LTAM O. HOUSTON, OF SAME PLACE.

GRATE.

lPEC-IFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,514, dated January 6, 1885.

(No model.)

0 a whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. HOUSTON, of

Bellaire, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My improvements relate to grates, particularly these intended to be inserted in fireplaces with or without a shell, and especially adapted for the burning of bituminous or soft coals; and the novelty therein consists, 1nainly, in the means employed for a better combustion of the coals without the annoyances of smoke or gases escaping into the room; in the means employed for the better radiation of the heat into the room, and in the means employed to prevent coals, cinders, dust, and ashes connected with combustion from finding their way into the room in which the grate is placed, all as more fully hereinafter specific ally described and claimed.

For the better understanding of my invention attention is invited to the drawings connected with this specification, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of my grate; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 a view in detail of the screen.

Similar letters denote corresponding parts in each figure.

A represents a baskctgrate of any wellknown form, having a back section, A, extending about as high as the front of the grate, inclining backwardly by preference, and secured in position within a fire-place or shell, so that there will be a clear open space, a, between this back section and the back wall of the fireplace or the shell. This back section, like others of a similar character, is not suliiciently high to prevent the fuel (when the grate is fall) from covering the top and obstructing the rear'draft, which is established by the aid of these back sections, so as to prevent these occurrences, which also cause the grate and back wall to heat andburn out more rapidly. I attach to the top or abovcthis section A an upper back section, A, which, for convenience of repairs or removal,is suspended at its upper edge by a hook, Z), in the back wall of the fire-place, and connects at its base with the upper cross-bar of the lower back section, A, by means of small clasps a a. Between this upper section and the rear wall of the fire-place or shell there is another clear open space, a, the two open spaces a and a constituting a clear air-space behind the sections A and A from below the grate to the upper edge of said upper sect-ion. Above the grate is placed an arched-shaped radiator, B, preferably of ill etal, thefront ofwhich is nearly in a line with the upper part of the arched open front C of the fire-place or shell, and 6 with its upper side, I), regularly sloping downward and backward, having its front upper edge, If, removed a little from the front shell or frameplate, so as to leave a space, If, between the parts named. In the center of this front edge, 0 there is cut a semicircular or angular opening, 0, and there are other spaces, b If, between the sides of this radiator and the side walls of the fireplace or shell, and still other spaces, 1) I), between the back edges of the radiator and the back of the fire-place or shell, which spaces Z) I) give egress to the dust and ashes punched from the grate and light enough to be blown by the air-draft up behint the rear grate-sections, and all of which spaces b I), I), and Z) are for the escape of the products of combustion. It will be observed that this radiator extends entirely across the throatof the chimney, except as to the spaces before mentioned.

Arranged in front of the grate proper is a screen, D, the upper portion of which, preferably occupying the same vertical parallel plane as the front of the grate proper, is made like a grate, with an upper cross-bar, d, and a lower cross-bar, cl, to which latter are attached vertical bars d connecting at theirlower ends with the lower section of the screen, and so arranged as to be in line with the vertical bars of the grate proper. The lower section, (1, 5 of this screen is made of a close plate hav ing openings d at its bottom where it rests on the hearth. This screen is made vertically adjustable, preferably by arranging the same to slide in grooves, formed on each side of the fire-place between the front and side walls thereof, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As will be observed, I have described my grate as being adapted to be set into a fireplace in the usual way, with a front plate or frame of the usual kind, and with brick side and back walls, and the grate and radiator at tached to such brick walls; or it may be constructed as attached to the front plate and to side plates, to which in turn the radiator may be attached; or it may be made not only with the face-plate and side walls and radiator, but with the rear plate, all connected within a com plete shell, so that the grate can be set complete in an open fireplace; but usually the back plate will be omitted, as brick is preferable in that place for obvious reasons.

In operation, the grate proper being filled with coals, the products of combustion pass mainly up through the rear openings, 2) b and Z) I); but if for any cause, such as insufficient draft, the products of combustion do not pass through these openings, they will collect in the arch of the upper back section of the grate and the radiator and be deflected forward and then escape through the central openings, 1), or the front opening, h The air for combustion all comes in at thelowestpossiblepoint viz., through the openings (1 at the bottom of the screen and not only passes through the coals in the grate, but to the rear of the grate proper, where it is heated, and thus heated is discharged through the upper section, A, at the point just above the bed of burning coals, and there ningles with and is supplied to the gases of combustion in the most eifective way.

To rake down or poke the fire, the screen is no obstacle, as its bars coincide with those of the grate in position; and to remove the ashes and clinkers the screen needs only to be raised.

Among the advantages of my construction the following may be enumerated: Economy in setting the grate, as by reason of the airspaces behind the grate no expensive fire brick will really be needed, and there will be little destruction of the back wall for the same reason; economy in the wear of the grate, as

by its isolation from walls the bars will not burn out readily, a greater degree of heatflin' the room, arising both from the slope of the radiator, which throws the heat directly into the room, and from the way in which combustion is assisted by the rear air-draft, as explained; an exemption from the escape of smoke and gases into the room, arising from the arrangement and location of their escapepassages into the chimney; and, lastly, an exemption, by means of the screen, from the dust,

dirt, ashes, and cinders continually making their way into the room from grates of ordinary construction.

Having thus described my invention, eX- plained its manner of operation, and mentioned some of its advantages, what I claim as new therein, and wish to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a grate with a back section, A, an upper removable back section, A, with a clear-open space between them and the back wall, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the arched and inclined radiator B, provided on its front edge with the opening I), and the front, side, and back walls of the fire-place, with the intermediate open spaces, b, b and b", between the edges of said radiator and the walls of the fireplace, substantially as described and shown.

3. In combination with a grate, the screen D, composed of the cross-bars d and d, vertical bars (1 and close plate dflwith openings cl, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN XV. HOUSTON.

\Vitnesses:

W. O. HOUSTON, D. \V. Goorna. 

